Executive Director
Rich
Gonzales
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080916152711im_/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/rich.gif)
Rich
L.
Gonzales,
became a
member
of the
Denver
Fire
Department
in 1972,
and was
Denver’s
Fire
Chief
from
September
1987 to
April
2001. He
is a
native
of
Denver,
and is
the
youngest
of 14
children.
He has four
children
and
three
stepchildren.
His
wife,
Mary
Kanan,
is
Assistant
Director
the
Division
of Adult
Parole
and
Community
Corrections
for the
Colorado
Department
of
Corrections.
Rich received
his A.A.
in Fire
Science
from Red
Rocks
Community
College,
B.S.
degree in
Business
Administration
from
Regis
University
(summa
cum
laude),
and a
masters
degree
in
Public
Administration
from the
University
of
Colorado
at
Denver.
Rich has
received
certificates
from the
Senior
Executive
in State
and
Local
Government
and
Senior
Executive
Negotiation
programs
from
Harvard
University,
and has
attended
the
Rocky
Mountain
Leadership
Program.
Rich has been
an
instructor
at Red
Rocks
Community
College
and the
University
of
Colorado
at
Denver.
He has
provided
keynote
speeches,
workshop
presentations,
and
motivational
lectures
in
conjunction
with
organizational
theory
and
organizational
change
throughout
the
United
States
and
Canada.
Rich joined
the Mile
High
United
Way in
May 2001
as the
Vice
President
of
Campaign,
led the
New
Markets
and
Initiatives
program
and most
recently
was Vice
President
of
Community
Relations.
Rich’s
responsibilities
included
meeting
with
neighborhood
associations,
chambers
of
commerce,
city
councils,
educating
communities
about the
programs
and
services
that
Mile
High
United
Way
provides.
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